Cotter Force is a small
waterfall
A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge
of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...
on Cotterdale Beck, a minor tributary of the
River Ure
The River Ure in North Yorkshire, England, is about long from its source to the point where it becomes the River Ouse. It is the principal river of Wensleydale, which is the only major dale now named after a village rather than its river. ...
, near the mouth of
Cotterdale
Cotterdale is a small side dale and hamlet on the north side of Wensleydale in North Yorkshire, England.
The dale lies to the west of Great Shunner Fell. It is drained by East Gill and West Gill, which between them have nine waterfalls. They ...
, a side dale in
Wensleydale
Wensleydale is a valley in North Yorkshire, England. It is one of the Yorkshire Dales, which are part of the Pennines. The Dale (landform), dale is named after the village of Wensley, North Yorkshire, Wensley, formerly the valley's market tow ...
,
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...
, England.
The Falls and Cotterdale Beck
Cotterdale Beck has several other smaller falls in its course before joining the Ure, but Cotter Force is the largest.
The force is not visible from the road, but it takes only a short walk to reach it. It comprises a series of six steps each its own small waterfall with the largest single drop being about . The force is narrower at at the top widening to at the bottom. A short path allows easy access from the
A684 near Holme Heads Bridge approximately west of
Hawes
Hawes is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, at the head of Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, and historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The River Ure north of the town is a tourist attraction in the Yorks ...
.
After the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust carried out an upgrade to its footpath, Cotter Force is now accessible to wheelchair users and less mobile visitors.
[
]
References to the Force
The artist J. M. W. Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 177519 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbu ...
sketched here in July 1816 for his Yorkshire Sketchbook.
See also
* List of waterfalls
This list of notable waterfalls of the world is sorted by continent, then country, then province, state or territory. A waterfall is included if it is at least tall and has an existing Wikipedia article, or it is considered historically sig ...
* List of waterfalls in England
The uplands of the north and west of England enjoy the wettest climate and are home to the majority of waterfalls in the country. In areas such as the Lake District which were formerly glaciated, they are commonly found at the lower ends of hang ...
References
External links
The Walking Englishman
{{Waterfalls of Yorkshire
Waterfalls of North Yorkshire
Wensleydale
Force (waterfall)